French Braid Instructions

Learn the basics of French braiding with these instructions. Guys that have longer hair wear their hair free and down a lot, but some days they'd like to wear the hair in a ponytail or braid, maybe even a French braid. Most men don't know how to do a ponytail, let alone a braid of any kind. Now it's time to learn so you have more variety in what you can do with your longer hair. Braiding and especially French braiding is not easy, so give yourself time to practice.

To French braid hair you will need:

• Brush
• Ponytail holder

1. Starting with tangle-free hair. Make sure you have thoroughly brushed your hair out, leaving no tangles. It's very difficult to braid your hair and run into tangles. The tangles will actually stop you unless you yank and hurt your head and scalp pulling through them to braid.
2. Your potential braid. Separate your hair into three sections between your fingers. Take the right section (unless you are left-handed) and cross it over the middle section. Now take your left section of hair and cross it over the middle section (which becomes the section you just crossed over). As you cross over each section, the sections switch places as you'll notice. If you are doing it right, you will see a braid pattern develop.
3. To make your braid a French braid you start a little higher up on your hair - it's your choice as to where. Start your braid as explained but as you grab your side sections, take one section of hair from your scalp at a time, and add it in. Each time you cross a side section, you pull up a piece of the same side and cross both the braid and the hair next to the braid over the next session. When you are doing it right you'll notice a braid in the middle with hair section leading into the braid on both sides of the braid. 
4. Finishing off the French braid. When you are done with your braid, remember to grab a ponytail holder. If you don't fasten a ponytail holder, your braid will loosen and eventually come partially undone at least at the bottom. Just a simple black or brown ponytail holder works great. If you are in to being gentle to your hair get ponytail holders that do not have metal on them.